Protect your credit score or pay the price

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Story Published: Nov 14, 2008 at 12:06 PM PDT

Story Updated: Nov 21, 2008 at 5:43 AM PDT

By Herb Weisbaum

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SEATTLE -- Credit card companies are reacting to the sour economy by putting the squeeze on their customers.

If you do anything that lowers your credit score -- which makes you a riskier customer -- you can expect to see your interest rate go up, your credit limit lowered, or both.

"Credit card issuers are much quicker to the trigger on raising your rates or lowering you limits if you do anything to show you are a riskier customer," says Bill Hardekopf of LowCards.com.

There are things you can do to keep this from happening. Pay your bills, all of your bills, on time. Make more than the minimum payment, well over the minimum if you can. And keep a low balance on your charge accounts.

So how much of your credit limit can you use? "Anything above 30% is considered high and can kill your score," says Curtis Arnold of CardRatings.com

That means if you have a $10,000 limit on that card; try not to have a balance of more than $3,000.

More Information:
Credit Card 101

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